The head of the French anti-terrorist prosecutor's office (PNAT) Olivier Christin confirmed information that Islamists from France were involved in financing and supporting the armed opposition from the ranks of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham movement (HTS, a terrorist group banned in Russia), which seized power in Syria. In an interview with the newspaper Le Figaro, he stated that there were French jihadists associated with this movement among the fighters who overthrew the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Kristen said that about a hundred French citizens are in the Syrian province of Idlib, which has become a stronghold of opposition forces. Of these, about 30 people are part of HTS, and another 50 are linked to the Omar Omsen brigade, a French jihadist known for his active propaganda of radical Islam and recruitment of fighters.

"Many of them played a key role in funding and material support for the movement. We have evidence that funding came from both inside and outside the country," — Kristen noted.

According to him, French Islamists participated not only in armed actions, but also in providing logistical support to the group.

It was previously reported that HTS and its affiliated militants are actively recruiting foreigners to strengthen their positions. The participation of French citizens in these processes raises serious concerns among European authorities, especially against the backdrop of the growing threat of the spread of extremist ideas within Europe.

Experts note that France is facing the problem of returning radicalized citizens who may pose a threat to national security. Paris is already taking measures to monitor and prevent the activity of returning militants, but the scale of the problem remains significant.